Wall rack for saw blades

ABSTRACT

A rack for storing saw blades comprises a body member having a rear side, and a front side and a plurality of parallel upwardly-open slots for receiving respective circular saw blades. The slots are spaced from one another by sufficient space to permit a user&#39;s fingers to grasp any selected one of the blades without touching adjacent ones of the blades. A plurality of coupling elements is provided on the rear side of the body member for removably mounting the body member to a vertical support surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a storage rack for saw blades.

The care and organization of tools has been a constant goal of toolusers. Many carrying cases have been developed for the storage andtransport of saw blades. Such storage cases do not meet the needs of allusers. Such carrying cases can be complex to use and expensive to make.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage rack forsaw blades.

It is a more particular object of the invention to provide a storagerack for circular saw blades.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a saw blade rackthat holds saw blades for easy access by a user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a rack thatmay be mounted to a wall or other vertical support surface.

A further, more specific, object of the present invention is to providesuch a rack that is easy to mount to a wall or other vertical supportsurface.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a rackthat is inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe drawings and descriptions herein. Although it is believed that everyobject of the invention is attained in at least one embodiment .of theinvention, there is not necessarily any one embodiment that achieves allof the objects of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A rack for storing saw blades comprises, in accordance with the presentinvention, a body member having a rear side, and a front side and aplurality of parallel upwardly-open slots for receiving respective sawblades. The slots are spaced from one another by sufficient space topermit a user's fingers to grasp any selected one of the blades withouttouching adjacent ones of the blades. A plurality of coupling elementsis provided on the rear side of the body member for removably mountingthe body member to a vertical support surface.

The slots are each defined by a front panel, a rear panel, and at leastone bottom support. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, thefront panel and the rear panel are each semi-annular and the bottomsupport is a semi-cylindrical wall. Each slot is thus a semi-annularrecess with a circular bottom surface engaging the cutting edge of therespective saw blade.

In this embodiment of the invention, the front and rear panels of theslots are disposed in a cylindrical array so that the slots are disposedat a common vertical height when the rack is mounted to a verticalsupport surface.

Pursuant to another feature of the present invention, the couplingelements include a plurality of hooks insertable through holes in avertical tool rack panel.

The body member may include a front panel having a substantiallysemicircular window.

In a particularly inexpensive form of the invention, the body member andthe coupling elements are integrally molded component parts.

The coupling elements may include a plurality of flanges on the rearside of the body member, the flanges being provided with apertures(holes or slots) for receiving screws.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is front, left, and top isometric view of a wall-mounted storagerack for circular saws, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the blade storage rack of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the blade storage rack of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view of the blade storage rack ofFIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a left side elevational view of the blade storage rack ofFIGS. 1-4.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the blade storage rack of FIGS. 1-5.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the blade storage rack of FIGS.1-6.

FIG. 8 is a front, left, and top isometric view of the storage rack ofFIGS. 1-7, showing in phantom lines a plurality of circular saw bladeson the storage rack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As depicted in the drawings, a rack for storing circular saw bladescomprises a body member 10 having a rear side 12, and a front side 14and a plurality of parallel upwardly-open slots 16 receiving respectivecircular saw blades 18 (FIG. 8). Slots 16 are laterally spaced from oneanother (in a direction orthogonal to the rear side 12 and front side14) by sufficient space to permit a user's fingers to grasp any selectedone of the blades 18 without touching adjacent ones of the blades.Coupling elements 20 are provided on the rear side 12 of the body member10 for removably mounting the body member to a vertical support surfacesuch as a wall or a perforated tool support board.

Slots 16 are each defined by a front panel 22, a rear panel 24, and atleast one bottom support 26. Front panel 22 and rear panel 24 aresemi-annular plates or partitions, while bottom support 26 is a semi-cylindrical wall. Each slot 16 is thus a semi-annular recess with acircular bottom surface (not separately designated) engaging the cuttingedge 28 of the respective saw blade 18. Reinforcing ribs or web members29 may be provided between each rear panel 24 (except the last) and thefollowing front panel 22 for stiffening the panels 22 and 24.

Front panels 22 and rear panels 24 of slots 16 are disposed in acylindrical array so that the slots are disposed at a common verticalheight when the rack is mounted to a vertical support surface.

Coupling elements 20 include seven upwardly pointing hooks 30, two largedownwardly pointing hooks 32, and three small downwardly pointing hooks33 insertable through holes in a vertical tool rack panel (not shown).

Body member 10 includes a front panel 34 (on front side 14) having asubstantially semicircular window 36 and an imperforate rear panel 38(on rear side 12).

Body member and coupling elements 20 are integrally molded componentparts, formed in an injection molding process of synthetic resin orpolymeric material.

Coupling elements 20 may alternatively include a plurality of flanges 40and 42 on the rear side 12 of body member 10. Flanges 40 and 42 areprovided with slotted apertures 44 and 46 for receiving screws. Upwardlypointing hooks 30 and downwardly pointing hooks 32 and 33 are omitted ifflanges 40 and 42 are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, upwardly pointing hooks 30 have a curved orarcuate rearwardly facing surface 48 and are formed on a forward sidewith a step or shoulder 50 contiguous on an upper side with a verticalsurface 52 and on a lower side with a horizontal surface 54. Surface 52engages a rear surface of a tool board (not shown) to hold the bladerack to the tool board.

As further shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, downwardly pointing hooks 33 and 32each have a pair of forward facing vertical faces or surfaces 56 and 58,for engaging a rear surface of a tool board (not shown) to hold theblade rack to the tool board.

Body member 10 has a plurality of horizontal land surfaces 60 disposedbetween adjacent slots 16 along edges of the body member.

Although the invention has been described in terms of particularembodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in lightof this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modificationswithout departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of theclaimed invention. For instance, window 36 may be omitted from frontpanel 34 so that the front panel is an imperforate wall. Similarly, rearpanel 38 may be provided with one or more openings. Front and rearpanels 22 and 24 of slots 16 may have any of a variety of differentforms, such as semicircular panels.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptionsherein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension ofthe invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.

1. A rack for storing circular saw blades comprising: a body member having a rear side, and a front side and a plurality of parallel upwardly-open slots for receiving respective circular saw blades, said slots being spaced from one another by sufficient space to permit a user's fingers to grasp any selected one of said blades without touching adjacent ones of said blades; and a plurality of coupling elements on said body member for removably mounting said body member to a vertical support surface.
 2. The rack defined in claim 1 wherein said slots are each defined by a front panel, a rear panel, and at least one bottom support.
 3. The rack defined in claim 2 wherein said front panel and said rear panel are each semi-annular and wherein said bottom support is a semi-cylindrical wall, said saw blades being circular saw blades.
 4. The rack defined in claim 3 wherein the front and rear panels of said slots are disposed in a cylindrical array so that said slots are disposed at a common vertical height when said rack is mounted to a vertical support surface.
 5. The rack defined in claim 4 wherein said coupling elements include a plurality of hooks insertable through holes in a tool board.
 6. The rack defined in claim 1 wherein said slots are disposed in a cylindrical array so as to be disposed at a common vertical height when said rack is mounted to a vertical support surface.
 7. The rack defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling elements include a plurality of hooks insertable through holes in a tool board.
 8. The rack defined in claim 1 wherein said body member includes a front panel having a substantially semicircular window.
 9. The rack defined in claim 1 wherein said body member and said coupling elements are integrally molded component parts.
 10. The rack defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling elements further include a plurality of flanges on said rear side of said body member, said flanges being provided with apertures for receiving screws. 